Volt urges the Government to recognise femicide, and take responsibility
Volt urges the Government to recognise femicide, and take responsibility
> Recognise Femicide as a crime in criminal law
> Improve legal system in handling gender violence cases
> Accelerate improvements in the Mental Healthcare sector
> Increase education of the public, both youths and adults included.
Volt recognises Paulina Dembska as a victim of femicide. The party expresses its condolences and solidarity with her friends and family.
The party believes that it is past time for the country to recognise that femicide is a serious issue that continues to occur in Malta and that national criminal law should include femicide as its own criminal act.
Furthermore, the party advocates for the improvement of supportive measures for individuals reporting sexual harassment to ensure their anonymity and security. Volt Malta reminds that 85% of Sexual Harassment cases go unreported, therefore it is unlikely we’ll ever have the full picture of actions by Abner Aquilina prior to the femicide. Courts and officials overseeing the post must also be ensured to have been sufficiently objectively informed on the subject at hand, supported by experts to build trust in the legal system.
The party also notes that the country has both failed to combat misogyny in society and failed in ensuring adequate mental healthcare which could have intervened.
‘‘Misogyny is evidently rooted in our society and individuals growing up are socialised into it. We need to change that both through educating our youths, but also our adults,’’ remarked Alexia DeBono, Volt Malta Co-President.
‘’Justice must be sought, and mental healthcare provided. If we are to do something about the frequency of sexual harassment cases we must first make our current infrastructure fit for purpose. As is, I am hard-pressed to be optimistic. What with the number of cases ending in suspended sentences and the conditions within Mount Carmel,’’ added Kass Mallia, Volt Malta Candidate & Vice-President.